Stronger credit unions make stronger communities. As the country recovers from the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there has perhaps been no better time to remind consumers and lawmakers of this fact.

The most effective way to convey the message is through stories of economic prosperity, community support, and financial well-being. To facilitate meaningful storytelling, America’s Credit Unions launched the Advancing Communities initiative.

Advancing Communities gathers member testimonials, state-by-state statistics that demonstrate the credit union difference, and resources for understanding the benefits credit unions provide in their communities.

This episode of the CUNA News Podcast features Brad Green, CUNA board chair and president/CEO of Listerhill Credit Union in Muscle Shoals, Ala. 

Green explains how the Advancing Communities initiative has enabled positive outcomes for Listerhill’s members and community. He also shares how Advancing Communities can reframe credit union goals for member financial well-being and enable more impactful conversations with lawmakers.

You can listen to the CUNA News Podcast in Apple’s iTunes Store, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher Radio.

In this episode:

1:51: The role of Advancing Communities

3:33: Addressing pandemic-specific needs

5:35: "It's reminded us of who we truly are"

7:23: An opportunity to be transparent

10:00: How the initiative unites communities

11:57: "Glowing examples of good public policy"

14:12: Connecting credit unions and economies

15:41: Next steps at Listerhill Credit Union

17:11: Advice for sharing successes